The present invention relates to cleaning devices, and particularly cleaning devices which apply a cleaning solution to a surface to be cleaned and then use a source of suction to remove the cleaning solution, and any dirt mixed therein, from the surface to be cleaned.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,484, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, describes a cleaning device having a main housing, a suction nozzle at the lower end of the housing, a handle at the upper end of the housing and a pair of wheels attached near the lower end of the housing by means of struts. A reservoir of cleaning fluid detachably connects to a port on the main housing. A pair of tanks are removably mounted to the lower end of the housing. One of the tanks includes a supply of clean water; the other tank receives the dirty mixture of water and cleaning fluid that is vacuumed from the surface being cleaned.
In the cleaning device described in above-incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,484, a blower which provides the suction is located in the main housing, near its upper end. Directly above the blower is an electric motor which powers the blower. Beneath the blower is an air/liquid separator which separates the air from the mixture of air and dirty cleaning solution. The dirty solution passes by a conduit into the dirty water reservoir.
In the cleaning device described in above-incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,484, positive pressure from the blower is directed into the cleaning fluid bottle and clean water tank through inlet openings in the bottle and tank. This forces cleaning fluid and water out of outlets in the bottle and tank, respectively into separate conduits. After the cleaning fluid is mixed with the water, the mixed solution passes through a flexible conduit to a manifold on the underside of the main housing. The air exhausted by the blower is also directed into the manifold, so that the air being exhausted draws the water and cleaning fluid mixture out of the manifold and onto the surface to be cleaned. A pinch valve mechanism operated by a trigger on the handle is spring biased to crush the flexible conduit leading to the manifold to allow the user to control the application of the cleaning fluid/water mixture to the surface to be cleaned with the trigger.
While the cleaner described in above-incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,484 is versatile and effective for cleaning carpets and floors, it is not as well-suited for above-the-floor cleaning (i.e., cleaning upholstery, draperies, etc.) as the cleaner of the present invention. And, although some cleaners do exist which can perform above-the-floor cleaning by spraying a cleaning fluid on a surface and then vacuuming up the fluid, such systems have been bulky and inconvenient to use, and have usually been expensive to manufacture.
Accordingly, there is a need for an inexpensive, mobile cleaner which can spray a cleaning fluid on both floor and above-the-floor surfaces to be cleaned, and then vacuum the surface to remove the cleaning fluid and dirt.